Held on Thursday, 30th April, ‘Two Ways of Making’ showcased BAJ student work developed through live industry projects with Zopa Bank and David Michael Jewels, exploring handmade processes alongside digital approaches.
Bringing together two connected approaches, the exhibition explored how materials communicate emotion through fine jewellery and traditional handmaking.
It also explored wearable technology using computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D printing. Students created jewellery that responds to healthy spending and finance. Together, these pieces show how jewellery design is shifting, with heritage skills and digital design now sitting side by side.
Students on the BA (Hons) Jewellery Design & Production programme presented work ranging from expressive handcrafted pieces to forward-thinking wearable concepts. They developed their ideas through experimentation, technical skill, and conceptual investigation within a practice-led environment focused on making and production.
The exhibition was developed through live briefs with industry partners, a speciality of the BAJ jewellery degree.
Michael Robinson of David Michael Jewels led the Fine Jewellery project from Boston, USA. He generously gave his time throughout the project, launching the brief and providing regular online feedback sessions to support student development. Interested in how students expressed what it means to be human through their work, he used this idea to shape the design brief’s framework.
Michael Robinson selected Avant Williams for a BAJ certificate for Outstanding Achievement in recognition of the strength and conceptual depth of his work.
Avant’s winning piece stood out for its exploration of emotional depth. It used layered, rippling forms to represent the complexity of human feeling.
Zopa Bank supported the Wearable Tech live project through the involvement of James Walker, Head of Current Accounts, and Wilfred Collins, PR Manager, who gave students a tour of the bank’s headquarters in Canary Wharf.
This experience allowed students to immerse themselves in the Zopa environment and gain insight into contemporary banking and digital innovation.
Students incorporated haptic technology and a bank chip into their final outcomes, creating concepts that connected seamlessly with Zopa’s app and explored the relationship between physical and digital experiences.
The project culminated in a showcase of student work, with awards recognising outstanding achievement.
Zopa generously awarded £200 and a BAJ certificate to the winning student, Scarlett Smyth, while James Walker and Wilfred Collins selected and presented certificates of recognition to the runners-up, Veroni Dimitrov and Nina Lenne.
All participating students also received a £20 gift in recognition of their work and contribution to the project.
“The work explores how shame can manifest through concealment and avoidance. The stone is hidden beneath a cloth-like form. The polished underside represents positivity, while the concealed surface reflects the tendency to hide parts of ourselves.”
– Avant Williams (BAJ winner): BA (Hons) Jewellery Design and Production student
“I’m really happy with how this project turned out. It was a great opportunity to work with David Michael Jewels and produce this piece. It’s inspired by feelings of uneasiness and anxiety, like goosebumps on the back of your neck. It’s designed to be worn there, tight and restrictive, so you physically feel that discomfort. I hope people see it as intended.”
– Scarlett Smyth (Zopa winner): BA (Hons) Jewellery Design and Production student
“We really enjoyed it as an experience. It’s not something we do every day as a financial organisation. Working with students on a project like this gives us the opportunity to see ideas far outside our usual perspective and to think in ways that are radically different from our day-to-day work or the wider industry.
The work was really high quality, both aesthetically and conceptually, particularly in how students translated the mechanics of their designs into reinforcing daily money habits. Kudos to the students for embracing the opportunity.”
– James Walker, Zopa Bank
“The precision and care in the work stand out, with the range of pieces demonstrating strong technical skill and conceptual thinking, offering a clear sense of the talent being developed here.”
It’s particularly exciting to see how ideas translate from concept to finished jewellery in such a considered way.”
– Katherine Boxall, Director of Higher Education, Fashion Retail Academy & Member of the Board of Governors
“I want to give an enormous well done to our brilliant students for the quality and ambition of this work. It reflects the strength of their ideas, technical skill, and creativity, and I want to thank the team and tutors who have supported them in bringing these projects to fruition.”
– Dr Matthew J. Williamson, PFHEA, Principal
The exhibition reflects BAJ’s commitment to working with industry, bringing together handcraft and digital design to show how collaboration, experimentation, and cross-disciplinary practice are shaping contemporary jewellery.
The project was led by Phoebe Coleman, Deputy Course Lead for BA (Hons) Jewellery Design and Production, with support from Annie Law, Associate Lecturer and Syd Kendall, Specialist Technician, who played key roles in the delivery and development of the live industry briefs.
The evening at BAJ’s Camden, Chalk Farm campus brought together industry partners, staff, students, families, and friends to experience the exhibition in a live setting.
To explore more student work and behind-the-scenes insights from the exhibition, visit BAJ’s social channels via our link in bio.
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